One Night
by Desponia
Summary: When Hermione breaks up with Ron and Harry with Ginny the unlikely pair find themselves in an impossible tangle of love and regret. I think it's good and I've gotten good reviews, you see for yourself.
1. Of Work and Friends

Hermione took a step back admiring her work. It wasn't easy to perform a Bedazzling Hex on such a large scale, but it was done. Hermione looked around; she wished someone was with her. Ginny would never believe her if she told her she had covered up an entire skyscraper with a Bedazzling Hex.

As part of Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes, Hermione was used to stuff like this. Though she had never needed to create a charm this big, she dealt with dung bombs, splinching, and children's mishaps on a regular basis. She enjoyed her work, it wasn't easy, but she liked it.

Hermione did a final walk around, checking that nothing could reveal the purple building. A small child, no more than 6 had been throwing a tantrum when her mother turned to see a bright green building and a smiling daughter. The mother had of course tried to turn it back without her wand, only to turn it a bright shade of blue.

The building had finally come to rest on purple after many of her colleagues had tried to turn it back to normal. Hermione had been called in as a last resort, though of course it was her day off but, she decided it was best to turn it invisible temporarily until someone could figure out exactly what the child had done.

Sighing, Hermione apparated to the Burrow for the weekly dinner with the Weasleys. Even though they wasn't really Weasleys, she and Harry were honorary members as they were dating family. Hermione and Harry were forced by penalty of the cold shoulder by Mrs. Weasley, to come every Friday night to eat the delicious food they prepare. Though of course she and Harry weren't complaining, it was the finest in Britain.

She found herself staring at a cheerful house, which she knew had been fixed up in the last few years curtsy of the twin's new-found riches. It had a fresh coat of glossy paint and the garden (though still containing gnomes,) had beautiful flours scattered in a very professional looking way. The path was paved with a nicer rock than before too. Hermione loved everything about the Burrow, new and old, though Ron's room was her favorite by far, only they knew why.

" 'Ermione!" Ron yelled with his mouth full as she entered. They had begun to eat without her. Glancing at her watch she realized just how late she was.

"Sorry, I got caught up at work; a six year old turned an entire building green. But of course the Accidental Magic Reversal Squad is no help what so ever and they call in me on my day off!" she sat down next to Ron and planted a kiss on his cheek.

He kissed her back giving her a mouth giving her a spot of mashed potatoes on her cheek. "Ron!" she yelled at this wiping them off her face with a laugh. She smeared it on his cheek playfully and reached for the chicken.

"You can't be late so often Hermione." Harry said from the other side of the table. "Then I'm the one they ask all the questions to, and you know I never know what goes on. I'm stuck in my office organizing Aurors to the various locations of supposed death eaters or answering phone calls of parents," Harry put on a high voice," my Stephanie isn't a death eater, how could you bring her into questioning. I remember last week…" he trailed off with a look of disgust. "And if I'm not explaining procedure to angry parents I'm capturing death eaters myself."

Hermione smiled at him, he was exaggerating of course. There were still death eaters out there these days, even after the three years that had come and gone since the death of the Dark Lord. Harry, Hermione and Ron had all become temporary Aurors. Though Harry had stayed on ending up head of the Auror Office, and Ron and Hermione had been offered spots, the two decided to decline. Hermione had gone on to help out in the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes while Ron had joined George in the joke shop.

Dinner continued with talk of Mr. Weasley's discovery of a pair of scissors that had been enchanted by a teen to cut his ex-girlfriends hair shorter every night. Also of George's latest invention, cobweb candies.

"They taste like that muggle stuff, cotton candy, but they're shaped like cobwebs and their harder, so they're easier to eat." George explained waving his punctured sausage around enthusiastically. "Then when you eat them, the tips of your hair turn the color of the stuff. We have pink, green, blue and I'm working on a black one, for our more Goth customers."

"Don't go testing those black ones on yourself dear." Mrs. Weasley said with a tone of slight worry. "Imagine your nice read hair with black tips. It'd be worse than Bill's long hair. Oh my."

George rolled his eyes and Hermione laughed. She always enjoyed the company of the Weasleys. There was no place that she could ever remember being happier.

Hermione, Ron, Ginny, and Harry walked up the stairs of the burrow full to bursting with delectable food. They flopped down onto the floor with exploding snap cards.

"Hermione," Ginny asked, "why didn't you ever try Quidditch?"

Ginny was a former professional Quidditch player was now a correspondent to the Daily Prophet for a Quidditch column. Hermione was the only one in the group who hadn't played.  
"Is this going to be in an article because I'm not a big fan of being in the paper." she said smiling and placing down two cards.

"No, just wondering."

Hermione watched, and then laughed as Ron put down a card that exploded burning his fingers. "Dunno, I stunk at flying in my first year and I guess I just never felt like I could be good enough. Besides, my mind was always on my studies."

"Yah, you focused nonstop on your studies." Ron said nursing his fingers. "You needed to get out more."

"Well I think I got out enough for a lifetime after the Horcrux hunt. Don't you?"

"Actually," Harry replied lying down onto his back after tossing a card down onto the pile. "I wouldn't mind another adventure, though I don't really want to. It'd be fun, but I'd rather to settle down."

He sat up and wrapped his arm around Ginny kissing her on the head.

"Harry you're so queer." she said poking him between the ribs and his hip so he squirmed.

"Hey, what's that for?"

"It's the way you say that stuff, it's like your making fun of us." She sounded both annoyed and joking. Hermione didn't know exactly what she was getting at it or weather it was good or bad.

"Sorry, I don't mean it like that; don't get all in a twist."

Ginny rolled her eyes. But burst into laughter as Harry put down his cards only to have them explode removing all the hair from his finely toned arms. Harry glared but Ginny didn't seem to mind.

It wasn't the best of nights for the friends, and it wouldn't get much better.


	2. Severing Ties

**SEVERING TIES**

The game ended with a burning pair of jeans and a clumsy aguamenti charm. As Ron put out his jeans with the dress robes from his fourth year, (though why they were lying around his bedroom was anyone's guess.) Harry dried the old spell books he had dampened with his inept charm. Finally after much cursing and a few giggles, Hermione kissed Ron good night, him not returning it, and Harry kissed Ginny. She returned it with a small, hardly noticeable scowl.

The two girls trotted downstairs, carefully avoiding the squeaky floorboards and dashing downstairs for Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans to renew Ginny's secret stash.

Hermione loved Ginny's room more than anything. It seemed like years ago Ginny's room had looked like the weird sisters had thrown up all over the walls, decorated with posters of them everywhere. Now it was more sophisticated with a warm green with a pale purple trim and sheets. The walls had a few posters with the weird sisters and a couple of Quidditch teams. But her bulletin board had news clippings of her liking. A few with her team's wins, some of her writing and others of a Harry's defeat of the dark lord. And Ginny of course had pictures everywhere of her friends and family.

Her desk was also spewed with parchment, crumbled, scribbled on, doodled on, and others with article drafts containing many blotted out portions. Ink bottles were everywhere too, mostly empty ones.

Ginny flopped onto her bed and tossed a toffee flavored bean into her mouth.

"Hermione?"

"Hm?" she replied pulling a hairbrush from her special sleepover bag she kept at the house.

"What do you think of Harry?" Ginny didn't meet Hermione's eyes when she said this. It was a question that was undoubtedly bothering Ginny, though she didn't know exactly what she was asking.

"You mean, do I think he's hot or do I think he's a good person, or.."

"Like, is he good for me, does he suit me?"

"He loves you Ginny you know that. Harry would do anything for you."

"Not what I'm asking Hermione." Ginny said rolling over to look at her.

Hermione yawned and fluffed her pillow. "Sorry. I think he's great for you. He loves your humor, he's good looking, he's kind, and he loves to be around you."

"I guess," She seemed to be looking for the right way to fraise something, as though she herself wasn't sure what she wanted Hermione to answer for her. "Do, do you think we're, we're meant to be? No, um, is he going to, you know, hold onto me."

This was what Hermione was hoping she wouldn't ask.

"I mean, we've been arguing a lot lately and he's been annoyed with me so much and oh, Hermione." she said her voice cracking.

"Ginny." Hermione went and sat with her friend hugging her.

"He's, he's so great, he, he…"

"Shhhhh." she said and held her crying friend until she fell asleep on her lap, her chest still heaving with silent tears.

Weeks passed uneventfully. Ron took Hermione out to dinner a couple nights; they talked as usual of work, family a little and other on goings in the magic world. Hermione liked spending time with Ron. Though they found it hard to find things to talk about and there were few dates that weren't canceled at the last minute due to Hermione's work. She always said: "I don't know what they'd do without me, honestly."

Ginny wasn't so lucky. Most of her dates did happen with Harry and they passed slowly according to Ginny and most of the time was spent silently or making small talk. Many nights Hermione came to sleepover just to comfort Ginny or she came over to her place unannounced, reduced to tears. Ginny couldn't help it. She didn't know what to do.

It was late on a Saturday night; Hermione and Ron were sitting in a booth of a small restaurant just as they were starting to finish. Ron had been, rather quiet. He poked at his mashed potatoes making rows and rows like a corn field only just planted. He looked as though he had lost Scabbers all over again.

"Ron, what is up with you? You've hardly touched your food and said nothing all night. Honestly, if you don't tell me what's on your mind," she plummeted upon him before he said:

"I'm breaking things off." He said looking up at her with big sad eyes. They looked as though much strain had pulled at them pulling them wider and wider until they seemed larger than Hagrid's. "I didn't want to do it like this but there, there it is alright?"

He stood up placing money on the table. Taking a final angered and depressed look at Hermione, Ron walked out hands in his pockets, heads down.

Hermione looked at the polished table. Her plate was empty, except extra gravy and a small piece of damp parsley. She felt like that parsley, she felt as though she could really connect with it. They both had been left alone in a big world to fend for themselves.

Of course she had seen it coming, but she hadn't connected the pieces together enough to make it fully aware in her head. How could she be so out of it, so blind sighted, the brightest witch in her year hadn't foreseen her boyfriend breaking up with her when it was so obvious, so set in stone.

Hermione suddenly felt something wash over her. At first it felt like fear, but as it became overwhelming, stronger than anything she had felt since Ron had kissed her for the first time she realized what it was.

It was freedom. And Hermione knew exactly what she wanted to do with it.


	3. Dragon Slayer

**DRAGON SLAYER**

Hermione found herself in a small but moderately crowded muggle bar. It was made of cheap stone on the outside with a wooden sign with black paint showing the name, the Dragon Slayer's Pub. The inside smelled of very strong alcohol and it reminded Hermione strongly of George's 21st birthday, it had been laden with muggle drinks and laughter. In the end they had all been absolutely furious with George, blaming him for their terrible hangovers.

The bar had a scratched and stained dance floor, stage with karaoke, and of course the bar and tables. As she glanced at a man's menu, the fist category was titled, "Hangover Food." As she looked up to the stage, which had a large purple dragon over it, there was an extremely drunk man singing a Beatles song with many hiccups scattered throughout the song.

It was only then did Hermione consider rethinking her plan. But she shook her head and ran her fingers through her hair. Tonight, she was going to get out there, tonight she was going to live.

Hermione sat down at the bar and ordered one White Russian. Glancing around, she thought of all the qualities that she liked in men's looks that Ron didn't have. She saw a man with a large stomach flirting shamelessly with a waiter and a boy who couldn't be more than 16 swigging a beer and laughing in a flirtatious way with another boy his age. There was a man with long blond hair similar to Bill's also pulled back in a ponytail who was about to pass out drunk. Near him was a man with messy, dark hair that stood up in the back. He sat alone, sipping bear as though he didn't care if he got drunk or not.

Since the teens were not an option and the long haired man reminded her of Bill and Bill of Ron, Hermione settled on the only other man of interest, the corner dweller. She walked up to him with drink in hand, heals softened by cautious steps. Approaching him Hermione noticed something strange; the man had glasses, just like...

"Harry?"

The man spun around in his seat, nearly knocking it over. Harry looked up into Hermione's face wide eyed and full of confusion. His eyes were bloodshot from tears and his face was blotchy.

"Hermione." he said standing up. "What are you doing here?" He was steady on his feet, seeming to be the least drunk man there besides the bar tenders.

"I, er, well, I was going to find, you see, I wanted to," she took a deep breath and let it out. "I was going to find a guy, get drunk and find a hotel ok?"

He stared at her as though he had never seen her before in his life or as though she had just dropped in from another planet. "You, you, what?"

"Harry, Ron just broke up with me." she said her voice cracking at the thought of Ron. Her eyes filled up with tears for the first time. She took a deep swip of her drink and collapsed into a chair next to him. "I, I just don't know what to do. I love Ron, and I thought he loved me. And I saw this coming I just, just refused to believe it. It's not fair Harry, it's just not fair!"

She lay her head down onto the table and cried. Her whole body shook with tears and her nose ran dripping onto the table covered with rings from people neglecting the clearly placed coasters. Hermione felt Harry's hand on her back and then him holding her close, embracing her.

Finally, after a couple minutes she fumbled around for a tissue, her head still resting on the table, chest still heaving slightly. Locating a napkin, she pulled it under and wiped her nose and then the table, embarrassed that her nose had run so much.

Hermione looked up at Harry smiling slightly and sighed deeply. They looked at each other for a minute, thinking. But after a minute Hermione pulled away and grabbed her glass not drinking it.

"Um, Harry?" she asked tentatively. "What are you doing here?"

He looked at her suddenly. "Me? Oh, um Ginny, she just broke up with me." He blushed deeply but looked sadder if anything.

Hermione put her hand on his, "Harry, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have put that all on you. I should have been more sensitive. I'm so sorry."

"No, no it's not your fault. You and Ron were really close. You should be able to cry over him. I shouldn't let my stupid breakup disrupt your mourning over your breakup." Harry's eyes filled with tears of his own. He took a gulp of his beer. "I was, so bad to Ginny, so terrible."

"No you weren't you were so good to her, you did everything in your power to protect her and make her happy." She took another sip of her drink. "If she can't realize that then you're better off without her." Hermione didn't know where this came from. Ginny was one of her best friends and she had been the one to tell Ginny the same thing.

Harry smiled at her and called for another drink.

And the drinks kept coming the two talked of love, of life, of what they would do when they won the lottery, and how many times the room could spin in one minute. They continuously ranted on of the stupidity of Ginny and Ron and how much better their next choice would be. Then on to how jealous they would be of their models or actor fiancé.

They laughed terribly at the plots they devised of getting back at them, each plot worse than the next. Soon they were very, very drunk.


	4. Hang Over Food

Hermione's head hurt. When one thinks of pain they think of, paper cut pain or scraping your leg when you trip. They do not compare by any standards to what Hermione felt as she woke up under nasty smelling sheets and pillows with stains she didn't know what of.

Sitting up despite her head's protest, she looked around. Hermione didn't recognize the room. It had gross peeling wall paper in a nasty shade of blue and once white curtains that would cause Martha Stewart to send herself back to jail for just looking at such things. The carpet had questionable stains and the TV was older than what could ever be possible.

She looked down at the bed again observing something she hadn't noticed before. Harry lay next to her, naked and very sweaty. She herself was also very sweaty she realized wiping her forehead on her arm. Hermione herself wore only a T-shirt thee sizes to big. She instantly realized what happened.

Hermione had made love with Harry, here in a muggle hotel, drunk. It must have been done for a long time probably determined by of the damp, smelly sheets. (Though she wasn't sure it was just sweat that made the sheets smell so nasty.) But what horrified her most was the fact that she had no idea whether they had used any protection at all.

Suddenly, Hermione felt extremely queasy. If this was from the realization of this fact or the hangover she didn't care. She raced to the bathroom and upchucked all she had.

A few minutes later Harry came in, woken by her retching. Silently, he pulled back her hair, his clammy hands brushing the back of her neck. He held it until she had emptied her stomach and was left with nothing but a pounding headache.

"Thanks Harry." she said rubbing some vomit from her chin, blushing deeply.

Harry replied with a small smile but a second later he gestured for her to leave while his turn to vomit began.

After ordering room service Hermione began to make the beds and straiten the pillows. It scared her that she couldn't remember anything from the night before. It was as though someone had preformed obliviate on her. This is why she normally didn't drink; this was the kind of thing she was afraid of.

Sitting down on the bed she wished both that Harry would come out so they could talk about it and that he would stay in there forever. All she could think was what had happened, what she had done. There was no denying it. It was bad.

A few minutes later Harry came in pale from the puking and looking nervous but still he smiled slightly. He had a towel around his waist and Hermione quickly grabbed for her pants only to realize they were Harry's.

"Well this, this is awkward." She said tossing him his pants and grabbing her own in turn. As she started on a search for her underwear she said, "What are we going to do about this?"

"Well first let's specify this." He pulled her underwear out from under the bed and handed it to her as though it were nothing. "Hermione I've already seen you naked you don't have to look so flustered."

"Yes but you don't remember seeing me naked." She replied sternly looking up at him before turning around to pull on her pants.

"I do actually." Hermione turned to him so violently she might have given herself whiplash. He paused to clarify. "I guess I wasn't as drunk as I though I was and we used protection and we both enjoyed it immensely. Neither of us was cheating Hermione." He smiled at her as she turned around. "Who says it had to be a bad thing?"

"I do Harry. I was drunk and stupid and who says I enjoyed it?" Hermione began to cry again as there was a knock on their door. "That should be room service I got us some hangover food." she wiped away her tears and went to get it.

Returning she found Harry with his pants back on.

"Harry, where's your shirt?" she asked noticing his bare chest as she placed the food on the small table.

Harry eagerly grabbed a plate of pancakes and began taking very large bites and before looking up at her. "Hermione you're wearing it."

She blushed. "Oh right." Looking around for her own shirt she finally found it on the deck. "Oh Harry look at this." Hermione called out to him. He came quickly, brandishing the plate of pancakes and sausage.

"I don't know how we got here." He said passing her a sausage. "But I certainly am not complaining." He wrapped his arm around her waist and smiled down at her.

The sky was a bright, blinding blue over a teal green sea. They had found themselves at the beach warm and sunny. The beach was empty and the sand was untouched. The only thing to explain the beach's vacancy on such a beautiful day was a small sign just legible from their distance that read, "No Swimming."

But Hermione turned away at his touch, ignoring the sausage and went for her own plate. Her over whelming feeling of stress was the only thing she wanted to think about, not the one that she was glad this was happening.

"Hermione, what's wrong with what happened?" He said louder pulling the sliding door shut hard.

"Harry! We just got out of serious relationships. Now we've had sex and we're not even in a relationship! I, I don't even remember any of it!" she raged. "Doesn't that upset you?"

"Once again Hermione, we both enjoyed it, we were safe, and I do believe we are in a relationship now."

"Who says I enjoyed it Harry? How do you know?"

"I remember it Hermione." he said quietly pushing a piece of cantaloupe around his plate. "You, you loved every moment of it. You laughed and moaned and," he paused. "You cried."

Tears shed from Hermione's eyes. This wasn't happening. Harry remembered every moment of last night and she remembered none of it. And as much as she hated this whole thing, a small part of her wanted to push Harry back into the bed and do it again.

Hermione grabbed her purse from the bed side table and ran. She ran from the room out into the hallway and into the elevator. She wasn't going to do this to herself. She wouldn't let herself think that Harry would stay with her when Ginny changed her mind. For Ginny loved Harry and this was only temporary. Harry had to be with her. Hermione could take no part. She would only get hurt.


	5. Positive Test

Hermione sat crying alone in her bathroom surrounded with little plus' and lines all telling her one thing. She was pregnant. Tears streamed down her face like rain down a window, never stopping. She held her head in her hands only looking up to see if they had changed, throwing her head down at sight of any of the terrible indicators of her condition.

She didn't know how long she sat there, crying endlessly. Forgetting work, forgetting friends, family, everything seemed like nothing compared to her state. But, her sulking and crying were interrupted abruptly by a nock at her door.

"Who is it?" she choked, raising her head weakly then letting it fall again.

"Ginny you loser!" she joked calling through her apartment door.

"Come in."

The door opened quickly and Hermione could hear Ginny skip through the door and into the apartment, humming a happy tune.

"Where are you?" she called aloud.

"Bathroom. You can come in." she called slightly mumbled through her hands.

"What's with you, you flobberworm? What's wrong? Hagrid…." But she trailed off as she saw all 23 different pregnancy tests scattered across the bathroom floor. She gasped seeing all the different signs all pointing to one piece of information.

"You're, you're……."

"Yes." Hermione croaked starting to sob again.

"Ron told me you broke up. He didn't, because…"

Hermione shook her head roughly. It had been two days since they had broken up and she still felt raw inside from it. "No. He doesn't know anything about it."

She didn't plan on telling Ginny anything about what she and Harry had done yesterday night. She knew that they would be back together again before she started to look pregnant. It wouldn't be right. But she needed someone to talk to, someone she could trust to help her make the right decision.

Hermione's mother had died in a car accident two years ago, so she wasn't much of a choice. Ginny needed to be with Harry, they needed to figure things out but they needed some space for now. But then it hit her, Molly Weasley.

"Ginny I need to get ready, what was it you can over for?" She said pulling the pregnancy tests from the floor and tossing them into the sink.

"I met a boy today." she sang skipping after Hermione. "His name is Jerome and he's French and he's hot."

"Great. So you're not hung up over Harry?" She pulled on a T-shirt and jeans on before dashing into the bathroom to brush her hair and teeth.

"Nope! Harry is a thing of the past, dust in the wind Hermione. But how are you on Ron? Are you ok with carrying his, well you know?"

Hermione swallowed a bit of toothpaste. Not knowing weather she could tell her if it was Ron's. If she told her it wasn't Ron's she would want to know whose it was, and she couldn't tell Ginny. But if she told her it was then she'd pressure her to tell Ron and she didn't want to keep up with all the lies. That and Ron would know it wasn't his unless………

"Ginny I have to get to work. I'll talk to you later." she said briskly brushing past her and grabbing her jacket as she dashed through the door.

Hermione arrived at the Burrow to find it mostly empty except for a knitting Molly and Ron who had barricaded himself in his room and according to Mrs. Weasley, wasn't coming out any time soon.

"Dear are you hungry? I could whip something up for you." she said already pulling wheat bread, cheese, turkey, and mayonnaise out of the cupboard. Sitting her down at the kitchen table she began to set the sandwiches fixing themselves.

"I was so worried about you after Ron said he'd broken up with you. He hadn't said why of course the child. But he was upset, won't eat the poor dear. And Ginny broke things off with Harry and he's already been over here today, he really looks upset." she waved for some plates that came flying in front of each of them. Then the sandwiches came and placed themselves on their plates.

"Yes, Harry was a mess, wouldn't talk about it either, no one seems to want to talk to me." Mrs. Weasley sighed and took a nibble of her sandwich.

"Harry is sort of what I wanted to talk to you about, you see after Ron broke up with me," she started.

"You of course know why he broke up with you don't you? I mean the poor dear is up in his room moping and you're the one who should be eating ice-cream and watching those muggle soap operas. But if he didn't even tell you what caused it all, well."

"But Mrs. Weasley if you'd just listen," Hermione started up again.

"And of course Ginny's off with that new boy Jerome, some French boy with no proper English. Do you know he called her spicy in front of me? The nerve of the boy."

"MRS. WEASLEY!" Hermione shouted over her complaints. Then she said more quietly, "I really need to talk to you about some thing."

Mrs. Weasley stopped crewing in mid bite then swallowed hard. "I'm sorry dear." she said picking up her plate and taking a seat closer to her.

Mrs. Weasley took very small bites of her sandwich through out the story as though afraid she would choke if it shocked her suddenly. By the end of the story Hermione was sitting next to her head on her shoulder as Mrs. Weasley held her softly shushing her comfortingly.

"There, there dear, it's all… Ronald!" Hermione jumped at his name turning around to see Ron standing in the doorway.

Hermione wiped away her tears quickly and straightened up. "Ron, what are you doing here?"

"I live here if you remember." He said taking a step into the room.

"That's right, going to live with your mum the rest of your life are you?" she taunted, hoping this wouldn't offend Mrs. Weasley.

"What are you doing here is a better question." he said blushing.

Good, she thought, he hadn't heard any of what she had told his mother. "Talking to your mum is that illegal?"

"Ron dear would you like a sandwich I've made some for Hermione."

"No thanks, I've rather lost my appetite." He sulked off purposefully making the floor boards creak loudly like a haunted house. Ron could be such a child Hermione thought to herself turning back to Mrs. Weasley slowly. She wished she hadn't made that comment about living with his mother.

"I do wish he'd move out. I did want to give this house to Bill and Fleur and move somewhere smaller. It has to stay in the family though." She smiled at Hermione.

"Mrs. Weasley, what am I going to do?"

"Are you willing to come clean with Harry about your child?"

Hermione shook her head staring down at her lap.

"Are you willing to try again with Ron?"

Once again Hermione shook her head.

"Well Hermione I don't know what to tell you. You could tell Harry and raise the child with him or here with Mr. Weasley and me. If you got back with Ron you could raise it with him but you know you can't raise the child alone. It's your choice Hermione."

Hermione stood up and gave her a sad smile. It was good advice but Hermione couldn't take it. Though she had no other option in sight and it scared her. After offering to help with the dishes and was declined she left to change for work. Her mind racing, searching desperately for any idea.

It was several days of nonstop brainstorming to finally pull together a plan. It was far from fool proof but if it worked, there wouldn't be any questions. If it failed, she would be far from welcome at the Weasleys.


	6. Gears in Motion

Hermione arrived at the Burrow for dinner Friday night anxious and feeling ill prepared. Though she had gone through every possible conversation she could imagine and every possible reaction they could throw at her, she still felt as though she was back with pre exam nerves.

As Hermione reached the door she felt not only the urge to be sick but also to run away. For not walking had given the feeling of accomplishing something but the sudden idleness gave her a feeling of sickness and of tenseness. But she knocked on the door and cursed herself for knocking so loudly.

And as she walked through the door, things did not get any better.

Instantly she felt the tension in the air. No one seemed to be talking to each other. Normally everyone would be talking so loudly they wouldn't have heard her come in, but instantly everyone looked at her. Ginny gave her an immense smile and a wave, but she was the kindest. George, Percy, and Bill gave her a smile that gave her the impression they were happy to see her but also felt regret. Mrs. Weasley nodded and smiled and Harry gave a half smile, maybe apologetic. But Ron continued a cold stare, he wasn't at all enjoying her presence.

Hermione didn't understand it, how could Ron give her that look. He caused all this, if he had at least given an explanation she wouldn't have gone the bar, wouldn't have seen Harry, and wouldn't be pregnant. How dare he give her that look.

But she calmed herself; if the plan was to work then she had to stay calm. Besides, she wouldn't have to deal with him much longer.

"Evening, I, er, hope you don't mind, I brought a guest." she stepped out of the doorway to allow the guest to step through also. "You guys know Victor right?"

Victor Krum stepped through the doorway into the living room now taller and more muscled. He wore expensive robes and a shirt that couldn't have been less than 20 galleons. He had become a bit stuck up over the years but Hermione needed him to do this and he had been more than happy.

"He and I are sort of, well you know..." but Victor wrapped his arm around her waist making her words unnecessary. His touch might have burned her for the effort Hermione needed to keep from flinching away.

The party gapped at her and Victor, speechless and in total shock. They continued to stare until Hermione found this far too awkward and asked, "Where's Arthur?"

It took a moment before anyone realized that she had actually spoken and Mrs. Weasley said "He's caught up at work we're just waiting for him before we start dinner."

Hermione nodded and they group fell into silence once more.

After a long moment of silence Mrs. Weasley announced that there was no need to wait for Arthur and that the food was long since ready.

The group crowded around the table as Mrs. Weasley waved a surprisingly large amount of food onto the table. The dinner was eaten in mostly silence and even Mr. Weasley's late arrival wasn't enough to bring about talk to the bunch.

After dinner Harry quickly stood up and made for the door muttering a quick thanks and goodbyes. But Hermione called after him begging him to stay just one moment longer.

"I, I have a bit of an announcement." she started standing up from the table too. Ginny and Mrs. Weasley starred at her in horror. She cleared her throat awkwardly and continued. "I have gotten a job offer in Southern France by the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. There is a large infestation of Merpeople they want to be watched. I decided to take their offer."

Once again everyone stared at her with shock. It was hard to tell whether they were more shocked by Victor or by the news of her leaving.

"Victor and I will be living in a gorgeous house by the sea and I will be making a lot more than I made before. I think we'll enjoy it."

"Wait," said Ron speaking for the first time since her arrival. "he's coming too?" He gestured at Victor with a look one teen girl might use when talking about a band geek or a science nerd.

"Yes Ronald, the Quiddich season is over and when it starts up again he will be traveling back to Romania and I will come to his games."

Victor nodded approvingly and she smiled at him ignoring Ron's tone that subjected he was a meal worm.

Harry looked beyond flabbergasted she though he looked as though he might pass out as he was pale as a sheet. He seemed to have no idea what she had said after "I am taking it."

"W-w-when do you leave?" he asked seeming to trip over his own tongue.

"Three days." She gave him a sad smile then turning it to the rest of the Weasleys. "I am sorry, I really am."

"Why are you taking this job?" Ginny pleaded

"You don't have to leave dear." Mrs. Weasley added.

"If you need the money I can lead you some." George put in having the largest joke shop chain in Brittan.

"I need to get out of the nest, be out on my own a bit. I can't stay here forever."

They all stared at her wishing beyond anything that this wasn't happening. Hermione tried hard not to look at Harry, who she regretted most leaving. Not only for it was his child but for reasons she herself did not fully understand.


	7. Sands of Time

It had been hard lying to the Weasleys. It hurt her to tell Ginny and Mrs. Weasley the tests had been a false alarm. She didn't want to tell them she and Victor were happy and that they would be just fine alone. But time seemed to speed by. Saying goodbye to the Weasleys had been almost as hard to lying to them but Harry even more seemed to tear at her, ripping her limb from limb.

But her things were packed, shipped and had arrived in France safely. Most of Victor's things should have arrived by now and the squeaky doors would be taken care of should all go to plan.

Time sped by and Hermione now stood in front of what had been her flat, where she had lived by herself for the first time, where she had thrown her first party, slept with Ron and of course found out about her and Harry's child. It was just now that she realized how wonderful this flat was. Important a step it had been growing up. There was a stain in the bathroom where she had thrown up from a hangover for the first time and she still had the scar from when she hit the kitchen counter funny and cut herself. It was there once but now she was leaving it all behind. Thanks Ron.

Hermione spun on the spot, focusing on the cute cottage by the sea. It had seemed cuter when she hadn't realized how much she would miss her old place. It was small, very white walls and a grey roof that was almost flat. The front path was almost covered by the tall grass that leaned over into it. If this was home, thought Hermione, so be it.

Victor waited for her a large box under his arm and giving her a half smile. "Are you vready Hermy-own-ninny?" He still hadn't learned to say her name properly.

"Yes, I can't thank you enough for doing this for me. I couldn't pull this off without you." She picked up one of her own boxes as she came into the entryway.

"Vot ever you need." He said taking the box from her and putting it on top of his own. "My friends are fery important to me and you are one of my closet."

"I do appreciate it and I think you mean closest not closet." She said laughing a bit for the first time in what might as well have been a month.

"Right." He said with a laugh. He grabbed a box labeled with his name and took it into his new room. Hermione followed his lead, so beginning a new stage in her and her child's life.

They spent the next few days unpacking taking breaks to go grocery and toiletries shopping. Victor spent his nights out on the town. Hermione had been sure to make it subtle but quite clear that she had no interest in being more than friends with him, though he seemed to know already.

Over the week Hermione popped into the book store various times to not only pick up books of personal interest but on becoming a mother and pregnancy. She found out everything she needed to know and also some things she hopped she never would have found out.

She enjoyed the view of be beach from their porch and even walked along the beach in search of shells. She didn't have much luck. She felt as though she was biding her time before things started to roar to life. But she knew that that's not how it worked. For Hermione it seemed as though something big was about to happen, like it always did. With Hogwarts it was that way, even in what was her normal day to day life. But the biggest surprise she had was discovering one of her plates broke during the journey here.

As time pressed on Victor became well known around town and floated from girlfriend to girlfriend over the few months he stayed. Not to say he was unfaithful to them. Victor was a gentleman to all of the town's residence and especially to Hermione. He took care of most of the housework and gardening and rarely let her raise a finger in her "condition." The only time she was to do much of anything was the cooking for his was revolting.

"I am an itevational Quidditch star Hermy-own-ninny. I nefer verned to cook." he'd say with a laugh.

She would laugh too but inside she cried, Harry stunk at cooking too.

After a couple months, Hermione and Victor said their goodbyes as Victor took most of his things with him to the Bulgarian Quidditch Team's training camp. He was to begin the season a month later so he had to get back in shape as did the rest of the team. It wasn't a teary good-bye, sad yes, but they merely hugged and he apperated off.

Hermione didn't mind the solitude to much for a month or two, but it did get annoying after a while. But the only person she really longed to see was Harry, and that was the last person she could possibly see, especially since she had started to get the first signs of a bump.

But time rolled on.


	8. Sudden News

**SUDDEN NEWS**

Things were good for the following months Hermione started to show signs that confirmed the pregnancy including a trip to St. Mungo's. Everything was fine according to them and she was right on track. Her books on pregnancy were read three times each from cover to cover and the entire cottage was baby proofed. Things were smooth and very boring.

Nothing unexpected happened until an owl came from Harry during her seventh month. She had been pouring over a list of baby names repeating them quietly under her breath feeling them roll off her tongue.

"April, Claire, Mia, Abby, Audrey, Benjamin, Zachary, Luke, Finn." She was whispering to herself. She had repeated the name Benjamin for the sixth time in the roll call that she heard a tap at the widow. Hamlet, Harry's owl was tapping on the window, his brown and white feathers ruffled and he seemed almost out of breath. (Hermione had never seen an owl out of breath so she didn't know for sure.)

Hermione opened the window and the owl seemed to sway a bit and then fluttered in. After offering him the last of this morning's breakfast she opened the letter that Harry had rushed to her with urgency.

_Dear Hermione,_

_ Good to hear you are doing well out in France and that the French food is treating you well. (Though I hear the waiters aren't particularly polite.) It is also good to hear that those merpeople aren't bugging you to much. I wish I could come to visit but I understand you want to put work first; you've all ways been that way._

_ I have some news, good and bad. Depends on how you take it I guess. I'm taking a job in America. It's for the auror department apparently they want me to take some training courses. Since the whole Voldemort thing has died down they think I should get the proper training done before I can take a permanent place as Head of the Auror Department. Rubbish but I can't really refuse can I? Because defeating Voldemort wasn't training enough._

_ It lasts for five years Hermione, five long years. I won't be seeing you for that long. They Weasleys are throwing me a going away party. I wish you could be there. I can't believe work is taking up this much of your time. How much trouble can these merpeople be? And you're all alone in that house now that Krum is off playing Quidditch._

_ I miss the way things were before that night. That one night that changed us forever. If I knew it would have affected us like that, I would have never gone to that bar. But I don't regret it mostly because you could have gotten pregnant with some wasted moron. But that's not the only reason I liked it. I don't regret that night. Please understand me, I don't expect you to come rushing back arms wide open but I want things to be normal between us. It's not like anything really changed right? You're my best friend, that's the way I liked it._

_ With love,_

_ Harry J. Potter_

_P.S. Please, please try to make it to the going away party, it would mean the world to me._

Tears ran down Hermione's face as she read the letter. Whether it was his innocence toward what was really happening to Hermione in France, her wanting to visit him more than he could imagine, the fact that she wouldn't see him for five years not the nine months she had planned, the knowledge that she wouldn't be able to say goodbye, and most of all, that she couldn't tell him how much that night had really changed her and how much she'd loved it too.

She cried for hours on end, wishing for things to be different, wishing that things didn't have to be this way. Though normally Hermione was one to tell people, "There's no point wishing for the impossible" but that is exactly what she did. She wished harder than anything in the world.

But finally she pulled herself together. Hermione knew that crying over this wouldn't make it better. She stroked her growing stomach and sighed. Walking over to the cabinet she grabbed a glass and threw it as hard as she could onto the floor. It shattered into a million pieces. Leaving the broken glass on the floor she went to bed and cried herself to sleep.

But time rolled on.

A/N: Hey, sorry some chapters have titles at the top and some don't. I'm new to the format of I normally post elsewhere. Just so you all know I have this story fully written already it's just a matter of putting it all up. Um… sorry for grammar/punctuation/spelling ect errors.


	9. From Burrow to Mungos

**FROM BURROW TO MUNGOS**

Two months after the letter from Harry, Hermione found herself in front of the burrow. It was more or less the same, though the flutterby bushes were gone, replaced by small trees. She had a sudden flashback to the moment she had walked in with Victor, the night she announced she was leaving for France. The thought scared her. She had been treated so coldly, she didn't want a reenactment, not in the third trimester.

But Hermione forced herself to breath deeply before awkwardly making her way to the Weasley's door. She knocked quietly, feeling timid and alone. Ginny opened the door.

"Hermione?" she said softly, as though they hadn't seen each other since preschool. "Oh my god!" She leaped into Hermione's arms embracing her in a huge hug, so enthusiastic it might have knocked Hermione over.

"Oh my god, I, I though, false alarm." Ginny pulled away from Hermione gaping at her beach ball stomach.

But before Hermione could answer Mrs. Weasley came to the door behind Ginny looking over her shoulder.

"Ginny, dear who's at the door?" She peered down at Hermione not recognizing her at first. But after she examined Hermione's face, Mrs. Weasley looked as though she had never seen Hermione in her life.

"You told us it was a false alarm." she tensed up speaking through teeth gritted in a way that was still somehow motherly.

"May I come in? I'd rather like to sit down first." Hermione said almost quavering under Mrs. Weasley's look. She let her in stepping aside slightly more than normal due to Hermione's stomach.

They sat down in the same old living room, on the same old couch, looking up at the same old clock. Hermione wondered whether Harry's would be pointed at work or traveling. But before the thought went far or she could check, Mrs. Weasley joined Ginny on the couch facing Hermione.

"The test was a false alarm I didn't lie." she lied. "When I mov," But before Hermione could finish the beginning of her explanation a searing pain shot through her stomach. She winced hard leaning over her growing belly.

"Hermione?" Ginny said standing up.

Mrs. Weasley flipped into mother mode, pulling Hermione to her feet and grabbing floo powder from a potted plant all the time coaching Hermione. No matter what she had done Hermione was still family and Hermione thanked god for that fact.

Hermione felt as though she were water whooshing down the drain, being sucked away as she stepped into the fireplace. A roar filled her ears just after Mrs. Weasley shouted "St. Mungo's" but it came abruptly to a sudden stop and she felt herself forced forward with a sudden lurch. Her face nearly met the tile floor before Mrs. Weasley grabbed her shoulders from behind. Ginny unfortunately fell forward to the tile with only her hands to stop her.

Mrs. Weasley summoned a wheelchair across the room while Hermione felt another contraction take over. She breathed fast as Ginny looked at her in horror, shocked by the pain that was spreading across her face. But Mrs. Weasley shoved Hermione into the wheelchair and Ginny had to sprint after her as she was pushed faster than Hermione could have imagined Mrs. Weasley could ever run.

"What are you going to name them?" asked Ginny wiggling the finger that the infant was clinging to in a miniscule fist.

Hermione smiled down at the twins rerunning the names in her head, "April, Claire, Mia, Abby, Audrey, Benjamin, Zachary, Luke, Finn." Slowly she began to eliminate names. "He's definitely not a Luke, or a Benjamin. She's not a Mia or an Audrey."

She found naming a more overwhelming task than she could have ever speculated. It was daunting to know that the names she decided on would be the first impression everyone made when meeting them. These names would be an prominent part in the rest of their lives. It was an intimidating thought.

It wasn't until Hermione felt as if her energy was completely depleted and beginning to drift into an exhausted sleep that she finally decided on their names.

She felt the nurse lift the twins from her arms as she drifted towards sleep. But before she fell into a deep but dream filled sleep she whispered to Ginny, "Claire and Finn, that's what I'm naming them, Claire and Finn."

And so it was.

A/N: I don't care if you don't like the names Claire and Finn or if you think Hermione wouldn't have named them that. I didn't like them much either but I personally have grown very fond of them now that I have grown out their characters.


	10. The Party of Truth

**THE PARTY OF TRUTH**

The Burrow was decorated elaborately with streamers, balloons, crisp red tablecloths and the lightning bolt cake was being iced at that moment. There were flowers all over the table and the smell of delectable food was wafting out into the garden where Hermione was adjusting Finn's collar pushing the brink of OCD.

She had already flattened down his messy brown hair that, like Harry's, never seemed tamable. She had not allowed him to play outside today in order to save his nice pants and he was angry at her for it. Claire was inside with Ginny picking out a dress. Hermione didn't need to do anything with Claire's hair; it had an adorable natural curl that made her smile with one look. It was jet black like Harry's, though she told everyone it was Victor's.

Everyone was under the impression that Hermione's twins were the work of her and Krum. No one followed Bulgaria anymore especially Ron, who had been a key player in raising Claire and Finn. She couldn't have done it without him.

Finally she let Finn go and after sticking out his tongue at her he ran off in search of Ron who he seemed to favor. Hermione watched him go, he had gotten her brains but Claire had gotten Harry's love of Quidditch. Hermione had gotten them both brooms that hovered a few feet off the ground for Christmas. But only Claire really took to it and now she seemed to never want to get off.

Claire and Ginny really got along well. Ginny was teaching her all she knew about Quidditch since she wrote a column about it in the Prophet. Many a time Claire had inspired Ginny for her next article just before the deadline even though the twins were only four.

Hermione stood up and walked the edge of the tables straitening silverware and glasses. Each rustle of a tree made her jump; sure it was Harry apparating home. She felt as though she was back at the day she had announced her leaving to France. She couldn't remember being more nervous than this though. She had never had reason to.

It wasn't until fifteen minutes later that guests started arriving. Kingsly arrived first in long billowing robes as always, followed by Hagrid giving her a big hug and kissing her atop her head. Bill and Fleur arrived with Charlie who had spent the week with them in anticipation of the party. Seamus and Dean arrived together of course and in the end Neville, Lee Jordan, George, and Luna arrived all egger for Harry's return from the US.

The smell of food was making everyone's mouth water and people were beginning to get bored of small talk when a loud pop came from under the "Welcome Home Harry!" banner that hung wide between two trees. And there Harry stood, tan, muscular, and genuinely good looking. He let out a loud laugh and everyone ran forward to give him a strangling hug. Mrs. Weasley ran fastest and she won the first hug of the night to be followed by Ron, Mr. Weasley and then the rest. Hermione stayed back smiling at him over the heads of the happy guests.

Harry spotted her over Mrs. Weasley's head and gave her a silent laugh. She waved and shouted "Welcome home!"

The party was wonderful and Mrs. Weasley's cooking seemed to have reached a new height in anticipation of her honorary son's return. Harry was swamped by questions about America, his learning's and his stay there. It sounded mostly uneventful besides the countless tasks and lessons he had been required to take and he seemed thankful to be back.

Finn and Claire were chasing each other around the yard playing happily by themselves occasionally stopped by another guest to ask them how they were. Hermione was getting another bottle of butterbeer when she heard Claire.

"Opps, sorry mister." she said standing up and pulling down her lavender dress. She had crashed into Harry's legs and fallen over into the grass.

He gave her an inquisitive look as though he remembered her from somewhere. "And who are you?" He asked her squatting down to her level.

"Claire, I'm four." she said rolling on the heels of her shoes. Hermione was tempted to tell her to stop like she normally would have to prevent her from ruining her nice shoes. But she was frozen to the spot.

"And who's your mommy Claire." he asked her with a smile.

Time seemed to move at a slow, sickening pace. Claire's voice seemed to come to her from three blocks away muffled and distant. "Hermione," she told him and the mother's blood ran cold. Claire pointed to her in slow motion.

When he looked at her slowly in those next few seconds she saw the realization dawn in his green eyes that Claire had taken from him. It of course was at that second that Finn chose to come over to Claire to complain to her why she wasn't chasing him anymore. Harry looked down at Finn, seeing the resemblance realizing they were twins.

Harry mumbled a goodbye to the twins and Hermione looked down at her butterbeer. He gave her a angered, and yet sad look that seemed to drill into her heart and mind more than her break up with Ron and lying to everyone put together. That was saying something.

"Hermione, is there something you would like to tell me about those twins?" he asked in a silent and furious whisper.

"I need to talk to you inside, alone." She looked into his eyes. They nearly leaked but she turned around and blinked once to brush them away. Hermione led him up into Ginny's room that looked out into the garden where the party was going on. Hagrid voice came through her open window singing "Odo the Hero" like he had done at Bill and Fleur's wedding.

Hermione closed the window and sat down on her bed bringing her legs up beside her. She stroked out a wrinkle in her robes while Harry followed her lead and sat down on Ginny's bed.

"Harry, when we slept together in that hotel room the night Ron and Ginny broke up with us I got pregnant. And believe me, I wanted to tell you more than anything, but I knew that you would want to help raise them and be a family but I also knew you would want to be with Ginny because you love her and she loves you. I knew it would be a matter of time before you two would be back together."

Harry looked at her as she said this as though she had just told him that someone had surgically replaced his arm with someone else's. His face rose with color and he seemed to fill with more anger than before. "But Ginny started dating that Jerome guy, the French one."

"You know Ginny, she dates a couple boys between your breakups. It was a matter of time before you two were back together. And then you took the Auror training, giving me all the reason to keep it the secret. You would have come home immediately to come raise the twins. You would have no job, no money and no place to get a job."

Hermione looked at him with pleading eyes, begging for him to understand. Begging that he would see the reasoning for her lies and deceitfulness.

"But Hermione, you lied to me all this time, four years you,"

"Five years." she corrected him looking out the window with tears falling down her cheeks. "Claire and Finn will be five in two months."

"You've lied to me for five years. How could you do this to me, after everything that we have been through? Horcrux hunting, Dumbledore's Army, the Triwizard Tournament, everything with Sirius, the Chamber of Secrets, the Sorcerer's Stone and all the years after Hogwarts. The years of friendship, did that mean nothing?"

"Do you use your head at all? I did this for you, so you could be with the one you love, so you would have a job, so you would have a future. Claire and Finn are fine, they are happy, healthy and love their life. I couldn't just throw away your things so I would have ANOTHER hand to help. We were just fine."

They held a moment of silence. Both were staring at each other, listening to the music playing in the garden. Harry broke the staring contest and looked to the window, apparently turning this over in his head, contemplating these facts.

"Don't you think for a second that I didn't want to tell you." Hermione hissed sharply into the silence. Then let the silence fall again and it was sustained for another few minutes.

"They have your eyes you know." she told him quietly. "Your mother's eyes. Finn has you hair, it sticks up in the back, but it's my brown. Claire's hair is black like yours only curly."

"I noticed." he said turning to her with a smile. "I like the name Finn."

"I hoped you would." Hermione smiled at him. "Claire loves Quidditch. She loves to be with Ron and Hermione and she rides her toy broomstick everyday. But Finn's like me, he loves to learn. Claire is smart, but she doesn't have that same love of learning."

Harry smiled at her and moved over to her bed. Hermione laid her head on his shoulder and sighed. "I missed you."

"You too."


	11. The End of Regrets

**THE END OF REGRETS **

They sat in that position for a time that seemed like seconds but could have been hours. Hermione's head lay on Harry's shoulder as he stroked her hair. The window was slightly open and a small breeze brushed their faces as they sat there. Slowly, ever so slowly Hermione found herself falling so her head rested on his lap where he continued to stroke her hair.

And for the first time ever, she had a flashback to the night that started everything. She had sat with Harry in that hotel room before anything in this same position as they were now. Hermione's head in Harry's lap. She had looked up at him and smiled him following the action by leaning down to kiss her, starting the chain of events that ended with Claire and Finn.

Hermione wanted to sit there forever, just like that, peaceful and next to Harry. But all good things must come to an end and so it did. Finn and Claire burst into the room laughing, smiles plastered to their faces.

The Harry leaped onto the other bed and Hermione blushed deeply. But Finn and Claire didn't seem to have seen anything.

"Mommy, where were you? Mom-mom wants to cut the cake." She looked over at Harry with curiosity. "Mommy, who's he?"

"Why do you have a liening bolt on your head?" Finn asked trying to say lightning.

"Claire, Finn, this is Uncle Harry. That's his scar, he got it in an accident." She told her children pulling each up on either side of her on the bed.

Harry pulled his hair away from his forehead so they could see it properly before saying, "So these are my,"

Hermione cut him off though, "Everyone is under the impression that Claire and Finn are an accident with Victor."

"What?"

"I had to have a story for why I was pregnant, I knew I couldn't stay away from here forever and I couldn't raise two infants on my own. So I devised the plan with Victor, he's the only one who knows that they aren't his."

Harry fell back and stared at the ceiling. Finn looked at him curiously as though he had never seen an adult act in such a way. Claire was staring at the posters that decorated the room, not caring much for what Harry was doing.

"Finn, can you tell Mimi to cut he cake without us, tell her we'll be down in a moment." he nodded and pulled Claire down by the hand and out the door.

They sat in another moment of silence. Time seemed to hack away slowly as Hermione tried not to stare at Harry while he stared at the ceiling once more. It was a lot to take in but he didn't seem to understand the torture it was putting her through waiting for him.

Finally she broke the silence, "Harry, I need to know what you're thinking. Please, just say something."

He sat up slowly and looked out the window where Claire was showing off her toy broom stick riding while Finn held a mouse out from Hagrid's overcoat. "I have children." he said turning to her with a smile. This sent a wave of deep relief through Hermione as he continued. "I hate the fact that I missed so much, their first steps, their first words especially getting to see them grow up. But knowing that those twins; are mine and my flesh and blood; that makes it all go away. But what makes it even better, is the fact that they're ours, not just mine."

She smiled at him, and understood. He loved them, as much as she did. But did he feel as she did for him?

Harry stood up, Hermione following his lead and they kissed. It was short, too short. And Harry walked out just like that leaving Hermione standing there dumbstruck and wishing more than ever before that she had never told him a thing.


	12. I Need To

**I NEED TO**

After a moment Hermione followed Harry downstairs and back into the garden. She watched him take a slice of the tip of the lightning bolt cake and turn to Ron who appeared to be on his third slice. It angered her that she just melted at his touch, burned red at his glances, felt sick every time he talked to another woman. She was supposed to hate him for getting her pregnant, for lying to her about protection, but she couldn't help sneaking glances at him, wishing to just graze his arm or at least make eye contact.

Harry gave her a sideways glance with a smile; she smiled back instinctively and blushed then kicked herself for being such a pushover. After glancing at her watch Hermione called to Finn and Claire that it was time to start getting ready for bed and they reluctantly came shuffling their feet.

After an exciting party Harry stuck around at the Burrow to help clean up; though Mrs. Weasley had insisted that he shouldn't be helping out with his own party. Harry seemed to be trying to prove to Hermione that he was responsible.

After much wand waving and a lot of leftover putting away, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny trudged up to Ron's room for a couple rounds of Exploding Snap. Ron had a special deck with Professor Snape on them (invented by George of course because of the similarity of snap and Snape.) Though Harry gave the cards a look of disgust, he dealt them out anyway.

"So Harry, where'd you get to in the middle of the party? You weren't there for the cutting of the cake. Mum's kind of mad." Ginny asked tossing two cards down, Snape scowling up at the four of them under his vulture hat.

"Hermione and I needed to talk privately for a moment. No big deal." He too in turn tossed a pair of Snapes onto the pile. He spared a glance at Hermione who nodded.

"Oh, about the twins," she said looking up at him with a look containing a mixture of fear and sadness. Hermione had told everyone to leave Finn and Claire out of their letters and Ginny had found this hardest of all. "how do you feel about it, it's a lot to take in?"

Harry sat a moment in silence looking just past Hermione and out the window. The silence was only broken by a loud bang from Ron's cards exploding. Harry broke a smile and said, "I think it's great, it's like I'm an uncle."

Ron gave him an angered look rather disdainful at the response. Hermione had found him burning his posters of the Bulgaria Quidditch Team in the back garden the night he had found out who the father supposedly was.

Hermione tossed her own turn's worth of cards and looked to Ginny who was staring at Harry as though she were seeing him for the first time. Then blushing tossed down a couple of cards that ended up causing her to take last.

The following days Harry took off from work. He, Hermione, Claire and Finn took adventures across Britain to muggle Zoo's, Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade, and various other places, buying them gifts and souvenirs all along the way. He seemed to be trying to make up for the lost years of unknowing and winning over their trust and friendship.

Hermione flatly refused most of the gifts after he tried to buy her an extremely expensive pair of omnioculars, be he kept piling on the gifts. It was after a trip to a small Quidditch store in Edinburgh where Harry tried to buy Claire a real snitch that Hermione took Harry aside. She told Claire and Finn to go to the playground while they talked.

"Are you aware that money can't buy friendship Harry, because you're sure stumping me?" She glared at him with a gaze that could have burned a hole in his forehead.

"Hermione, I don't know them, they don't know me. I'm trying to make a good first impression."

"You are making the impression that you are bleeding money and all they will ever want or expect from you is fabulous gifts. Not your humor or your intelligence, or your kindness or your looks." Hermione caught herself realizing what she had just said.

Harry ignored this though. "I'm sorry Hermione; all I want is for them to like me. They're my kids you know."

"They will, but you can't just keep spoiling them with gifts. Besides, we've filled their rooms to bursting already."

"Alright." he said and he leaned in to kiss her but Hermione dodged.

"Is there something else?" he asked cocking his head confused.

"Harry you expect things to just start up where they left off. But we weren't in a relationship and we aren't right now."

"Then why did you kiss me back in your room at the party."

Hermione looked over at Claire and Finn who were swinging on the playground oblivious to their parent's argument, their predicament. "You have this power over me, I just, can't…. Harry if I left right now would you cry?"

"No." he stated plainly, no hesitation.

"Do you want to be with me forever?"

"No."

"Do you think I'm pretty?"

"No." Harry said it so matter-of-factly that she had to turn so quickly on her heal to avoid him seeing her cry that she almost fell over.

Hermione fast-walked over to the swings to bring them home but Harry grabbed her arm. "Hermione,"

"What Harry! It's plain it's obvious, it's all right out on the table, it's…"

But he cut her off. "I wouldn't cry if you left, I would die. I don't want to be with you forever, I need to. And damn it Hermione you are gorgeous." Harry kissed her harder than she could have imagined and she responded by wrapping her arms around his neck and he lifted her up so she was on her toes to reach him. And she fell in love all over again.


	13. When Push Comes to Shove

**WHEN PUSH COMES TO SHOVE**

The days that followed were bliss for Hermione and Harry as their secret relationship brought them deeper and deeper into a spell of obliviousness to all around them. Harry's free time was spent either with Claire and Finn, getting to know his children or with Hermione spending secret hours hidden away.

Hermione seemed to be constantly under a spell of happiness unable to make contact with reality. She spent her time daydreaming about what the next time she spent with Harry would be like. It was a world of endless bliss. It was all she could think about.

Her wake up call came from Ginny. She and Ginny were folding Claire and Finn's laundry when Ginny asked her,

"What do you think of Harry?"

"You know what I think of Harry." she said avoiding Ginny's eyes though very nonchalant about it. "Harry's a great friend."

"No, I mean like now that he's back."

"Well, he's still a really great friend, he's really stepped up about the twins and he's,"

"No, Hermione like a boyfriend." her face started to turn pink. "I'm thinking about asking him out, trying again with him."

"Oh," she tried not to let her face show the fear and disappointment that was rushing through her like rapids. "well, he is very responsible now, and much more considerate I'd say. He's trying really hard to make up for his leave, that's a good sign. But don't you think he might have moved on?"

"Harry's not really one to move on is he?" Ginny said looking at Hermione, seeming eager for her response.  
"No, not really." and she took the last of the clothes and made her way toward the twin's room.

Hermione felt like stopping up the stairs in a huff into her room to punch her pillow and scream. As a teen Hermione was always the responsible, considerate and abnormally, calm one. She was responsible in choosing her boys and never got in trouble. Her parent's called her "the ideal child." But right now she wished she could take another time turner and go back and be loud, crazy and do stupid things she would regret.

Because back then, there were no real consequences to her actions. If she stopped off in a huff to a friend's house for a couple days to crash she didn't have scared children to worry about; she couldn't spend a day or two watching soap operas and eating ice cream by the pint. But she wished she could right now. That was all she wished for.

She had seen this coming hadn't she? Hermione had known that Harry and Ginny would be back together and Hermione would stand there and take it. It felt as though some one was chiseling away at her heart, piece by piece.

And she did she stood there in her and Ginny's room and took it. She took the chiseling as it came. It tore away at her heart, and it hurt.

Hermione, Harry, Ron and Ginny stood in Diagon Alley with Claire and Finn in search of muggle school supplies as a sort of outing. It had been Harry's idea in hope of getting the foursome closer. But Hermione wasn't in much of a bonding mood after Ginny's question yesterday. Ginny had been next to Harry all day. Whether she was grabbing his wrist in excitement of seeing an adorable kitten in the pet store or laying her head on his shoulder after ice cream. Harry didn't seem to mind. It made Hermione feel as though her stomach was a soda can being crushed over and over all day long.

"Ok, so we've got the writing utensils, the backpack, pencil cases, lunchbox, a folder each, we still need crayons, a glue stick, ruler, and tissues." Harry read off a crumbled and creased piece of paper Hermione had received from the kindergarten teacher at the parent's open house.

"Don't forget the markers." Ginny said pointing over her shoulder at the list.

"Yes, Finn wears down the markers fast, he uses way to much blue." Hermione said wiping ice cream off Claire's chin. "Where is Finn?"

"Oh, I told him to pick out a book at Flourish and Blotts, he definitely has your brains." He added quickly under Hermione's angered look, "It just seemed like a special occasion, I'll make him put it back if you think I'm spoiling him."

"YOU LET HIM GO BY HIMSELF!" She shouted jumping from her seat.

"Er, yah." He said as though he had been scolded for breathing

Hermione pulled Claire into her arms and ran in the direction of Flourish and Blotts. Ron and Ginny followed immediately at her heals.

Hermione arrived Flourish and Blotts in record time, Claire holding on for dear life. She sent the door flying open revealing a neat and rather empty looking bookstore. She dropped Claire into Ginny's arms and franticly began to skim each row of bookshelves for any sign of her son.

After rows and rows of endless books on charms, arithmancy, and how to books she finally heard a call from the opposite end of the store. At first it was so muffled Hermione wasn't sure who was calling or what the person had said. But as she sprinted toward the yell, nearly knocking down a small which holding a book on wart removal_, _she recognized the voice.

"Hermione, I found him, I found Finn." Harry said appearing from behind a shelf in the astronomy section. After apologizing to the very miffed witch she ran to Harry who had Finn balanced on his shoulders. She pulled him off and hugged him until the child started to complain that she was hurting him.

"Harry, oh thank god you found him!" shouted Ginny racing up with Claire giggling on her back. She dropped Claire and flung her arms around Harry's neck.

A second later Ginny kissed him, suddenly and out of the blue. It had been a peck but as she looked up at him realizing what she had done she began to kiss him again. And as though playing out Hermione's nightmares, Harry didn't stop it.

After mumbling something about marker's Ron grabbed Finn and Claire's hands and lead them out of the bookstore. It took a second before Ginny broke off and looked at Hermione's furious, depressed and why-didn't-I-see-it-coming face.

But she didn't see it long because Hermione took that second to turn on her heel and ran out of the store, ignoring any thoughts but the ones that told her to get as far away as possible. She made her way past shoppers and shop owners past stray cats and shopper's fallen bags, doing anything in her power to get away from the memories that were popping up in her mind.

Hermione knew she couldn't escape Harry though, and he caught up before she could figure out where to hide. He grabbed her arm like he had at the playground so many weeks ago on that playground where she had fallen head over heals for the guy who had just finished making out with his ex-girlfriend.

"What, Harry? If you've come to compare and contrast you've definitely come to the wrong place." she shouted at him trying to break free from his grip. But those five years with the Aurors had done him well because she wasn't going anywhere.

"Hermione, she kissed me. You where there."

Hermione pointed to her face. "You see this, this look right here. This is my I'd-rather-be-swimming-in-urine than-be-talking-to-you face. Now it's my I'd-rather-eat-bubotuber-puss-than-listen-to-this face."

"What? So it's over because Ginny kissed me?"

Hermione shook her head tears falling down her face like rain on a windshield. "No Harry, it's over because you kissed her back."

They stood there Harry looking down into her face looking as though he wanted to do nothing more than make things better but knew there was nothing he could do. It sat there in his face screaming at her for what she'd done. Tears fell from her eyes unstopping, endless and terrible.

"Hermione, if you want this to end, I'll leave, but only, only if you want me to. Only say it's so if it's the end, the end for good." Tears fell down his face now. And Hermione's need to make him happy, her eternal love for him that had burned in her since that one night blurred her vision. But she wiped it away.

"Its over." she choked shaking hard with tears and spun on the spot before she could contradict her head again.


	14. Epiloge: New Beginnings

**EPILOGUE: NEW BEGINNINGS**

Harry, Ginny, Hermione, Ron, Rose, Hugo, Lily, James, Albus Severus, Claire and Finn stood at Platform 9 ¾ waiting for the long awaited train ride to Hogwarts. The children surrounded him on all sides talking happily of the year to come.

The only people not contributing to the conversation were not only Harry but Claire and Finn who were standing not far off, but at a distance significant enough that they were not to be contacted to be part of the conversation. Harry watched as Claire sat down on a nearby bench followed by her brother. They had become somewhat outcasts in the family. Not really fitting in. It wasn't their fault as much as it was Hermione's, who had made it clear that Victor was the father. Only he and Hermione knew the truth, that he was the father.

Hermione had also made it clear that she wanted the world to think that they were Ron's children. The smoke and mirrors had caused the twins to sort of fall away from the rest of the family, no matter how hard Harry tried to bring them in.

It was Claire and Finn's fourth year at Hogwarts; they didn't seem particularly excited about it. James was through the roof though and was both egger to leave and at the same time scared.

The children of the family didn't know why the adults didn't take to the twins but Harry's kids had their own reason. They noticed how drawn Harry was to them, they noticed the extra time he spent with them and they didn't really appreciate it.

For Claire and Finn it had been like a divorce. Everyone was blaming themselves and each other. The parents were arguing, everyone was tired and the kids were stuck in the middle. He had always kicked himself for taking part in the blaming and the yelling leaving not only Claire and Finn but his own children feeling scared and guilty.

Harry rolled over his regrets in his mind, kissing Ginny at the bookstore, letting Hermione leave, being oblivious to her feelings and most of all putting Claire and Finn in the fray to fend for themselves.

That was why Claire had become so rough on the edges, she didn't take crap from anyone. Claire fought for herself and confided in no one. She didn't trust most people, but she had friends, he hoped. Finn was pretty good. It was true he confided mostly in Claire and was mostly a loner besides his books, but his tongue wasn't sharp with insults like his sister's.

Harry watched as Claire stood up at the sight of a boy. He wore muggle clothes still and had the mischievous face of George but he had chestnut hair. His name was unknown to Harry though he was sure he was mentioned frequently since he was probably Claire's only friend.

She punched his shoulder and gave him an I-can't-believe-you-did-that look. It was something that Hermione might have given Fred or George so many years ago. He knew she did ok in school seeing as there were no letters sent home to his knowledge. But other than that, he knew little of her daughter's day to day life. But he wished her happiness as she ascended the stairs onto the train all the same. A silent wish.

Harry looked to Hermione in turn. He gave her a smile that was meant to say, "look at them, our children, they're growing up." She nodded with an empty expression and turned back to Ron in conversation though he could tell it interested her about as much as divination had. His heart sank as he realized that nothing would ever be the same. The same thing he realized every day.

A/N: Thanks for reading. I might write a sequel about Claire but I've recently stopped liking writing as much as I did. I may write it. (I think it would be REALLY interesting if I did.) If I do it will take a while sooooo… sorry. Review if you like.

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